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Unpacking Review

AJ Rappaport

Game: Unpacking

Developer: Witchbeam

Genre: Puzzle, indie game, simulation

Release Date: November 2nd,2021

Completed: January 2025 on the Switch

Screenshot of Unpacking source: https://www.humblegames.com/games/unpacking/
Screenshot of Unpacking source: https://www.humblegames.com/games/unpacking/

Overall Impression

This game was obviously a labour of love. I am very impressed with the level of detail and thought put into the rendering of so many diverse items. I feel particularly close to the invisible protagonist because they are queer and Jewish, just like me! As someone who deeply cherishes their home, this game feels deeply special.


Gameplay Mechanic & Performance

While very simple, the gameplay mechanics are effective. The tedious labour of IRL unpacking is very well mirrored in the patience pace of Unpacking’s gameplay. Individually processing each item is the essential structure of the game and what makes it and the story successful.


I appreciate the thoughtfulness and truth in the way obstacles are handled in gameplay. Players cannot open a drawer that is blocked by an impasse, nothing can be left on the floor and most things (besides clothes, books and a few expectations) could not be stacked. 


However, as a self-proclaimed pro-packer-unpacker-extraordinaire, I find some of the ways things are packed to be frustrating. I would never separate a collection of trinkets, or shoes for that matter, into separate boxes, or even separate compartments in the same box. Although I feel silly for going off like this, however it is truly how I feel as someone who freakishly enjoys the packing and unpacking experience.  


I would have liked to be able to select multiple objects or a field of objects at once, but it didn’t impair my impression of the game. It was a bit tough on my wrist to stack so many books, but it was integral to the story building so it’s okay.


Story and Characters

As stated previously, I see a lot of myself in this game and feel a special closeness to the protagonist and gameplay. The autonomous life of each object that the player is tasked to handle informs the chronicle of the protagonist’s life in a very intimate way. It’s very moving to see objects from childhood carry well into adulthood. Small, yet powerful choices were made in object designs to depict the aging process, like cups that chip over time, or the addition of a wrist brace to the protagonist’s drawing setup. 


As a collector of many things myself, and being someone who feels strongly connected to the materiality of my possessions, this game and its concept resonated deeply with me. Objects, although inanimate, share a life with us and carry meaning. The protagonist’s personalized experience is expressed by discoverable limitations and placement injunctions. At different times in our lives, our belongings have specific spots in our homes. These spots change as we do, and continuously shape the sanctuary that is our homes, arguably my favourite place in the world.


Graphics and Sound

The stylization and level of detail in the artistic rendering of this game really blows me away.  I find pixel art especially captivating in the ways that the artistic rendering excels under the limitations of a confined system. I could immediately tell what most, if not all, unique objects were, to the point that I could even tell what GameCube box art I had just unpacked. It must have been so much fun to make the list of objects and then render each of them with what appears to me as a very high level of care and attention to detail. 

The sound design has careful application as well.


Certain objects are given specific sounds, like pots clanging or plates stacking. There is audio feedback cue for picking and placing objects which makes it easy for players to understand spatial awareness. The music soundtrack is very calm and sometimes doesn’t play at all, and players are left to unpack in silence. I think the use of silence is effective in relating to the mundane and domesticity of the game’s setting, but I always unpack to music so I find it a bit eerie at times.


Comparisons, Final Thoughts, Conclusions

Overall I am very glad I played this game. The game displays a level of intimacy and care that I love to experience in my life at home and in the wild. I would recommend Unpacking to anyone interested in the “cozy game” renaissance happening in recent years. Unpacking takes a simple concept and injects it with intricate artistic craft and emotion. Although different from my usual tactical JRPG gameplay, this game offered me some respite from the hustle and bustle of city living. 


Overall Arbitrary Rating:

7/10 spoopies


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